Farmers can now apply to the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme for multi-agreements and one-off grants to enhance the environment.
CS Higher Tier has opened from today (7 February) for agreements starting on 1 January 2024, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has announced.
Higher Tier offers grant payments to support the UK's most environmentally significant sites, including commons and woodlands.
It allows farmers and land managers access to a greater range of CS grants than Mid Tier.
Higher Tier also offers some flexibility to tailor requirements to suit an applicant's local environment.
The scheme is competitive, with the RPA explaining that funding is awarded to those who will make the biggest improvements in their local area and demonstrate the best value for money.
Grants are available as multi-year grants, with most options lasting for five years, but some options can last for 10 or 20 years.
Capital items are also available, with a range of grants for specific capital works or items. Work must be completed within three years.
RPA chief executive, Paul Caldwell said: "We are pleased to be able to open up Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications for 2024 on the back of increased interest in the scheme.
"We are making it more straightforward to apply and are giving new agreement holders longer to carry out capital works within their agreement."
There are now more than 32,000 ongoing Countryside Stewardship agreements in place – with the scheme seeing a 94% increase in uptake since 2020, including almost 4,000 Higher Tier agreements.
The deadline for requesting a CS Higher Tier application pack is 28 April. Mid Tier and Wildlife Offer agreements are expected to open next month.
The RPA has created an applicant's guide to Higher Tier grants.
What grants are available?
There are grants available to support habitat creation, restoration, and on-going management of:
• Species rich grasslands, wet grassland and water meadows
• Heathland and moorland
• Coastal sand dunes, vegetated shingle, saltmarsh, inter-tidal and saline habitats
• Fens, reedbeds, ponds and ditches
• Wood pastures and parklands, orchards, hedges and scrub woodland
• Woodland
Higher Tier also gives farmers access to a wider range of grants to:
• Protect vulnerable or threatened species
• Manage hedgerows, drystone walls, stock fencing and gates
• Improve local water quality and manage flood risk in your local area
• Convert and manage land to organic certification standards
• Protect and enhance historic, archaeological and geodiversity features
• Support educational access
• Improve air quality and reduce ammonia emissions
